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♪ the crash of the hindenberg was one of the most notorious accidents in american history. the radio reporter's description of the humanity simply iconic. >> even after 75 years, the cause of the disaster is still a mystery. now the discovery channel is aiming to solve it.

here's abc's john schriffen. >> reporter: it's one of aviation's greatest mysteries. >> it burst into flames. it burst into flames and it's falling! oh, the humanity! >> reporter: 75 years later, scientists finally believe they now know why the hindenberg burst into flames, killing 36 of the 99 people on board. >> three, two, one. >> reporter: check out these life-sized replicas, 80 feet long, getting blown up. over and over again. it's all part of discovery channel's curiosity series, to find out what really happened. >> that's not far off the real thing. >> we tested the theory that shooting at the hindenberg would take out down. we tested the theory of a bomb. we tested static electricity. we tested the flammability of the skin.

>> reporter: to re-create the disaster, physicist steve wolf and the team test each theory, one at a time. lightning, a bomb, a spark. the question is, was the hindenberg brought down by mother nature, sabotage, or something else? >> in our lab testing, most of those theories really didn't pan out. but one of them does. >> reporter: after 75 years, the team will make the public wait just a bit longer for the answer. releasing their findings on sunday. jon schriffen, abc news, new york. >> should be fascinating what answer they come up with. obviously, it's best known for those fiery images. but in its heyday, that was the fastest and most comfortable way to get across the atlantic. so it was a milestone at the time. of course, we remember how it ended, just like the "titanic." we remember the tragedy, not the accomplishment. >> that was the first trip from europe to north america of the 1937 and they didn't have a full airship, only 36 passengers.

at that time in 1937, $400 per ticket, one way, $720 round trip. think of what that would cost in today's parameters. >> no kidding. we'll get answers perhaps on sunday. well before jon stewart and steven colbert, political satire was in the pages of "mad" magazine. >> and now "mad" is celebrating 60 years of poking fun. it's coming up on "world news now." >> announcer: "world

♪ ♪ mad world mad world nice song choice, guys. "mad" magazine is celebrating 60 years of making fun of the american landscape with a brand new book. >> it's called "totally mad -- 60 years of humor, satire,

stupidity and stupidity." here to help us celebrate this stupid milestone, can we call it that? not really. "mad" magazine writer, good morning dick bedebartolo. >> let me read this one line. as of his byline in issue 502 in 2009, your material has appeared in 400 consecutive issues of "mad" magazine dating back to 1966, my friend. >> yeah, yeah. >> you are a veteran. >> i've been paid for five of those issues. >> but you ne what? >> the check's in the mail. >> but you get paid? >> yes. it's 20 years i've been on "world news now" too. >> wow. >> the first time i ever sat at the adult table. >> really? >> yeah, yeah. >> we haven't been there that long either. >> if you want to quantify us as adults. >> how did you get started, though? >> i was back in high school, reading "mad." i thought, i don't want to read this, i want to write this. so i wrote a satire and i read in a magazine, if you submit

something, send a self-addressed stamped envelope. otherwise, they'll throw it out if it's rejected. so six weeks later, i get my envelope back. i'm heart broken. i open the envelope, and it's stuffed with cardboard. the cardboard says, ha, ha, ha, thought this was your script being returned. guess what? we bought it. stapled to this cardboard is a check and it was signed by nick megland. who was the co-ed or the for years. >> very cool. >> it was like a "mad" way. >> exactly. you were the creative consultant from 1984 to 2009. but as rob mentioned, you've contributed to 400 consecutive issues, dating back to '66. how many straight issues, and give us an example of your most popular work. >> i did a lot of the "star wars" takeoffs. one of my favorite stories about the "star wars" takeoff, after the first issue -- the first satire i did, mort and

i both got a letter from george lucas saying there should be an academy award for satire, one for mort drucker, one for dick debartolo, and i totally enjoyed it. two days later, we get a letter from lucas' attorneys. we are suing you for your infringement of our "star wars" property. so i said to the publisher back then, what are you going to do? he said, i'm writing, gee, george liked it. and they sent him a copy of the letter. never heard from them again. >> and the height of its circulation, 2 million subscribers. this was a huge cultural force in the country. what do you think was the secret to its success and what is it like to be on the inside of that? >> well, you know what? it was the first magazine to tell people, don't trust anybody. that the government might be doing things behind your back. manufacturers are probably trying to not tell you the whole

story. "mad" used to be anti-smoking, anti-drinking. we still are. but they were the first ones of the choking poster. this is one of the most republished things that i did, the choking poster. find out what the victim is choking on, do not order that for yourself. and the fun part is that it looks like the real thing. >> what does "mad" magazine look like now? because some people don't know. you guys are still in circulation. >> we are. still the same, seven people. >> show this book. >> this is your copy. >> they showed it earlier. the entire staff signed it. we didn't put your names on it so that you can read it and then pass it on for christmas gifts. >> love it. >> very cool. >> or put it up on ebay. >> what is your favorite part? >> the stories about bill gains, the founder of the magazine.

and also no matter when you read "mad" there's something in there you'll find because there's something from all 60 years of "mad" in it. >> this is awesome. thank you, sir. we do appreciate it. >> i'll see you next month. with gadgets. i'll have the other hat on. >> this man does it all. congrats on this. thanks for sharing. we'll be back, everybody. stay with us. thanks for sharing. we'll be back, everybody. stay with us. lind

♪ all right, welcome back, everybody. the who right there singing "pinball wizard," just one of the many legendary moments on the bill last night at madison square garden. >> it provided a once-in-a-lifetime experience

for everybody who was there. >> reporter: on the outside, music fans were still hoping to score seats to the concert. >> i'm trying to get a ticket. so bruce, if you're watching. ♪ behind your sorrows >> reporter: on the inside, bruce springsteen, the boss, and his e. street band kicked things off, rocking madison square garden, as the 12-12-12 concert for sandy relief got under way. ♪ it's now or never >> reporter: it is a star-studded show. raising money for residents of the tristate area, still suffering after the storm. >> the damage from sandy was as much as $70 billion. our national and local governments are responding but it's just not enough, which is why we're here tonight. >> reporter: the money raised here will go to an organization called the robin hood relief fund, and then it will be distributed to sandy's hardest hit areas. ♪ get you on your feet again

>> reporter: the stars helping out have strong personal connections to the region. many are either current residents of the tristate area or many grew up here. ♪ but tomorrow there will be sunshine ♪ >> reporter: no one is more associated with new jersey than the boss and the members of his band. >> yes, it's a little bit more personal because literally the jersey shore where we grew up. >> reporter: the jersey shore hit hard by the storms. residents there and people here acknowledge it will take years to rebuild and billions of dollars. they will raise a ton of money with this concert, but even celebrities acknowledging that it will be just a drop in the bucket in terms of what's needed to rebuild. jeff pegues, abc news, new york. >> a drop in the bucket but a fantastic start. that's for sure. some of the big headliners were born here, raised here. you think of bon jovi, bruce springsteen. billy joel. >> rob nelson up there jamming. >> so many good folks from this area. always good to see them help. >> i didn't know that you could

play such fine instruments. >> a man of many talents. as is our dick debartolo. if you want to get a top pi of the book, check it out on am don.com. you disgust me. prove it. enough is enough. d-con no view, no touch trap snaps to kill instantly. no looking, no touching. d-con. get out.

this morning on "world news now," the search for answers. we're learning new details about the gunman in the deadly oregon mall shooting. >> and while we know who he was, investigators are still trying to figure out why he snapped. it's thursday, december 13th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." >> happy thursday. we're almost to the weekend. i'm paula faris. >> good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. some of the people who knew mall

shooter jacob tyler roberts best are now speaking out. we'll get to all of that in a moment. the chilling part is there seemed to be no signal at all. >> out of character. >> really out of character. he just snapped and that's what led to the tragedy. unbelievable. also this half hour of the show, justin bieber, the target of a possible murder. police uncover what they say was a plot literally to kill the superstar. >> kill but also torture. leading up. it's a very disturbing plot. also ahead, bringing babies into a labor battle. the union workers using the sound of wailing babies as a weapon. >> i can't imagine anything more effective than the sound of a screaming child. ooh. >> you'll be much more apathetic when you have your own. >> perhaps. perhaps. in the meantime. who is the most fascinating person of 2012? barbara walters shares her pick. it was unveiled last night during her special. interesting choice.

you can see this person made a lot of big headlines this year. we're not going to reveal who it is, but interesting choice. stay tuned for that. barbara always comes up with a good list, 2012 no exception. >> yes. but first, the search for a motive in that oregon mall shooting. those who knew him say jacob roberts say he was a friendly, outgoing type. >> but something changed drastically in the days before he opened fire. we get the latest now from our own sunny hostin. >> reporter: detectives have revealed the man who unleashed an hour of terror inside the packed portland shopping mall on tuesday. they say 22-year-old jacob tyler roberts stole a semi automatic rifle from someone he knew, killed two people and seriously wounded a third. police say roberts entered at macy's and began shooting patrons in the mall's food court. killing 55-year-old nurse cindy yuille and 45-year-old father of two steven forsyth.

roberts, in his hockey-style facemask and load-bearing vest, continued shooting into the lower level maul courtyard, wounding 15-year-old kristina shevkenko. >> she's still in serious condition. we are optimistic about her eventual recovery. >> reporter: roberts then killed himself near jcpenneys. what was behind his mission is still a mystery. roberts' ex-girlfriend hannah exclusively told abc news that he had quit his job, sold all of his belongings, and was moving to hawaii. >> this is the last thing i ever expected, especially from him. he was just too sweet. he was never mean to anybody. >> reporter: tammy roberts, roberts aunt who raised him, also has no answers. >> she has no understanding or explanation for her son's behavior. she's very sad and wants everyone to know she's so sorry what jake did and it's so out of his character.

>> reporter: sunny hostin, abc news, new york. >> just to reiterate, police believe and authorities believe he stole the gun that he used in the rampage. they searched his home and car, but ex-girlfriend, she had been with him a year, his mother -- not his biological mother, his aunt, said completely out of character. his girlfriend texted him over the weekend. he was supposed to go to hawaii. did you make it safely? he said he got drunk and missed his flight. she doesn't even know if he bought a ticket. >> she said something chilling too. she says, i don't understand. i was just with him. i just talked to him. i didn't believe it was him at all. not one part of me believed it. you get a sense of how stunned she was. there was just never a sign this was a violent person. maybe going through a tough time. never a sense that he was capable of anything like this. we hear so much about that in these cases, a person just snaps and it leads to this carnage. it's hard to get your mind around what causes someone to lose it like that.

now we're going to turn to that story you mentioned just a moment ago. that bizarre murder plot involving justin bieber. it was hatched by an inmate in new mexico by a man named dana martin after several written attacks to contact bieber went unanswered. martin recruited a fellow inmate, his nephew, in fact, to carry out the plot against bieber while bieber was here in new york last month. both men were apprehended before they could do any harm. his bodyguard and two other unnamed people potentially could have been hurt in this plot, as well. >> so hatched in prison. he ordered these two guys to pull it off, those two guys -- what happened was is when they were in vermont, they took a wrong turn and wound up in canada. that's how this whole thing unfolded. but they were hired to use

fiskars scissors to do some gruesome things to justin. >> they wanted to mutilate him. >> i don't want to go into further detail because a lot of guys would -- >> oh. >> yes. they were eventually going to strangle him with a tie. >> he's not like a hater for lack of a better phrase. he apparently has a tattoo of bieber on his leg. so he's just a die hard fan that was upset for not hearing back after he wrote those letters. but we hear about celebrity stalkers all the time. this is a different level. >> luckily they took that wrong turn into canada and it was foiled. >> amen to that. wow. john mcafee's legal saga has taken another turn this morning. the software pioneer is back in the u.s. after the guatemalan government deported him. he arrived in miami last night and spoke to reporters from his hotel in south beach. he complained that he had been forcibly separated from his girlfriend, but says she would be coming to the u.s. sometime soon. and the u.s. is looking up ways to ratchet up the pressure on north korea following that successful launch of a long-range missile. experts say the launch is exactly what north korea's new young leader needed to prove

analysts say, he's every bit his late father's provocative son. >> the message to the world is don't mess with me. i not only have the weapons, i have the delivery capability now. >> the united nations has condemned that launch. it's called for an appropriate response, which could mean more sanctions against north korea. an update on the health of former south african president nelson mandela. doctors say the 94-year-old leader is making progress against a lung infection that's kept him in the hospital since saturday. still no word yet on when he might be released. california governor jerry brown has been diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer. brown's doctor says the cancer is localized and his prognosis is excellent. the 74-year-old is undergoing conventional radiotherapy until the first week of january. and he plans to stay on the job throughout his treatment. >> many people work through radiation therapy for prostate cancer. i think our governor would be

much happier working than not working. so yes, he should still do it. >> keep his mind off of it, right? the doctor says he's not expecting the governor to experience any significant side effects. last year, brown was treated for a common form of skin cancer on his face. important consumer news to pass on to you this morning. honda is recalling hundreds of thousands of cars that may simply roll away, even when the transmission is in park. the recall affects 800,000 minivans and suvs made between 2003 and 2006. they include the honda odyssey, pilot and the acura mdx. honda needs to repair a defect in the ignition because cars can simply roll away after drivers stop and remove the key and get out. this thing just kind of goes on its own. so recall notices go out in february and repairs will be free. you breathe a sigh of relief. this does not affect your car.

>> because i have a hoopty. i've got a big old minivan. i've had four hondas. >> you're loyal. >> i am loyal. >> very nice. here's your thursday forecast. scattered showers around san diego. los angeles and vegas. snow in the l.a. mountains and northern rockies. light rain from portland to seattle and showers along the carolina coast. >> 50s from atlanta to the big apple. 40s in the midwest and rockies. 27 in fargo. 37 in the twin cities. >> i like your fargo accent. >> it was bad. even though it's now 12-13, we can't get enough of this 12-12-12 stuff from yesterday. so that is why this is our -- boom -- "favorite story of the day." takes us to a sixth grade classroom in rural central wisconsin where three classmates celebrated their, yeah, 12th birthday on 12-12-12. >> abby and gabby and simon marked their big day sharing cupcakes with juice with all their family and friends. everyone was showing their green bay packer spirit.

not only was it 12-12-12, it was also aaron rodgers day in wisconsin. he wears number 12, so there you have it. all about aaron rodgers. >> it was a cool date, though. and we will not live to see the next repetitive date, 1-1-2101, 88 years away. so it's good we got one under our belt. because we'll be in another place, a better place. >> who knows, you might be living. >> nothing in my gene pool suggests that. coming up, britney spears is number one on a brand-new list. >> and a new top for new york's number one landmark. a construction milestone to make the big apple proud, coming up on "world news now." ♪ concrete jungle where dreams are made of there's nothing you can't do now you're in new york ♪

l

♪ ♪ i got a pocketful of dreams i'm from new york concrete jungle where dreams are made of ♪ welcome back, everyone. the first section of the top that would make the new world trade center the tallest building in the western hemisphere is now in place. it took workers half an hour to

hoist the 70-ton piece of galvanized steel to the top of the 104-story building. and it caught the eye of tourists and new yorkers alike who caused to honor the significance of that moment. >> it means a lot to all of us. it shows the resilience of the region, the country, and even the world. >> it does send a strong message. that section is among 18 pieces that will form the spire. they were made in canada and sent by barge. once in place, the full height of the building will be 1,776 feet. a beacon of light for all to see. >> a symbolic height on that, too. i love that whole thing. >> mm-hmm. union workers in philadelphia are sending a loud and very clear message. and they're using one of the most irritating sounds in the world to do it. [ baby crying ] >> pay fair wages. [ baby crying ] >> yes, that bawling baby has

been torturing residents at an apartment complex for days now. unionized electricians have been piping the annoying cry through loud speakers to protest a nonunion contractor hired there. tenants caught in the middle, as you can imagine, have had enough. >> they don't seem to care. even when we approached them nicely on the first day, they seemed to ignore us. >> it's well within the law. it's within the first amendment. >> that union official did agree to cut off the baby crying, at least for now. he said in the spirit of the season, they'll blast christmas carols instead, and let the debate rage on which is more annoying, a baby or certain carols. but there we are. >> and all the nursing mothers can't go near it, because if a nursing mother hears a baby cry, something happens. >> what? >> the milk. >> is that true? >> remember julia roberts had a famous speech and yeah. she needed a baby to cry. yeah.

the milk lets down. >> i ner never knew that. >> it's an audible. if you hear a baby cry, your body lets down the milk and you're ready to go. >> wow. you creatures are amazing. >> we are. >> you do it all. >> why don't you bow right now? >> waa. [ laughter ] >> sorry if i got a little graphic. it's just nature, everybody. >> a great tv moment. >> you have so much to learn, rob. >> i do. coming up next, the year's most fascinating person. >> and women musicians taking their talent to the bank. who makes the most? all next in "the skinny." xt in "the skinny."

♪ skinny, so skinny in the house! >> yes, indeed, "skinny" time here. barbara walters every year puts on her big most fascinating people of the year special, the ten most. this year reflecting on 2012 year. she had a good list this year. i watched part of it last night. we had several people. ben affleck made the list. prince harry was on the list. honey boo-boo. of course we did that. and gabby douglas, the olympic champ. the band one direction which folks far younger than we know who they are. seth mcfarlane.

e.l. james, author of "50 shades of gray." very satisfying read. who else? secretary of state hillary clinton, governor chris christie. and the big secret is who is number one and this was this year's honoree. >> general david petraeus was not chosen this year for his war record or his exemplary service to his country. this is about military honor colliding with sex and lies in the digital age. >> sex and lies in the digital age. that sums it up. the fall from grace. >> a g mail account. >> we have all witnessed that in the headlines for weeks. and all that good stuff. one of the biggest scandals of the year. so i get why she picked him. she did not interview him. i get why that would top the list. again, the key word, fascinating. that's a good way to encapsulate that list ever year. >> maybe next year you'll be on it, rob. >> maybe. lindsay lohan, who is still on probation for basically a jewelry --

>> she stole some jewelry. >> she stole some jewelry back in 2011. she's still on probation. the probation has been revoked by a judge today and ordered her back to court on january 15th. and on that date, she could be found in violation of probation, face as much as 245 days behind bars. >> whoo. >> they're expecting her -- attorneys are expected to get that january 15th date pushed to give them more time to cut a deal. she's still in hot water dating back to a june 8th car crash where she lied to police. it just goes on. >> jail time looking more likely. well, she clearly won't be on this list. we heard about her tax troubles. the top earning women in music in 2012. the top of the list, britney spears. she's on the comeback, man. she raked in $58 million over the past year. she had her latest album. then had the big tour. also endorsements. i didn't know she had a perfume line with elizabeth arden.

>> she does. >> rounding out the list, number two, taylor swift, $57 million. rihanna, third, $54 million, lady gaga, $52 million, and katy perry with $45 million. congratulations, ladies. anne hathaway devastated. she was here for the premier of "les mis." a photographer snapped her and she showed her world to them unwillingly and it's everywhere now. didn't wear underwear. >> why no underwear, ann? m covee from the rim down to the wate to kill 99.9% of germs. and removes stains better than clorox toilet bowl cleaner with bleach. so if you want to do the whole job, lysol's got you covered. lysol. mission for health. and for an incredibly clean and fresh bowl with every flush, try the no mess automatic toilet bowl cleaner.

we were going through so much of the bargain detergent. and the clothes didn't look as good. but since we switched to tide we use much less. an amazing clean for all three of our full-grown dependent bundles of joy. that's my tide, what's yours?

♪ baby baby baby i love you ain't no doubt about it baby i love you ♪ ♪ baby, baby, baby i love you sing it. baby fever has hit hollywood big time and the latest to catch it is drew barrymore. >> the first-time mom says she's been doing some serious nesting since giving birth back in september. and now she's sharing some of all that joy. here's abc's tonya rivero. >> reporter: this charlie's angel has her own little angel, drew barrymore debuting

9-week-old daughter olive on the cover of "people" and opening up about the best role of her career so far -- being a mom. telling the magazine, it's positively the best moment of my life. as life gets shorter, the stakes get higher. and this is the most important thing i will ever do. >> she wants to be the mom that's going to be there every day, picking up her kid from school so that the child knows when she needs mom or dad, they are there. >> reporter: the 37-year-old actress even wiping away tears as she spoke about her husband, art consultant will kopleman, whom she wed in june, and his role as a father. saying he provides a strong family. for people who didn't have the strongest families, if you can create that, you have a second chance. it's like a miracle. >> he has very traditional family values and they cannot wait to raise their child together. >> reporter: her own childhood was very from conventional.

the star of "e.t." at just 7 years old. [ screaming ] >> reporter: she later battled addiction to drugs and alcohol, entering rehab at only 13. she opened up about those rocky years with chris connelly on "nightline" earlier this year. >> i was lost and scared, but what i did learn is humility and that things can go away. >> reporter: with a new chapter before her, the new mom knows her daughter's life will be different. i'm trying to figure out how to do things differently than when i grew up. i've got some really great blueprints of what not to do. tanya rivero, abc news, new york. >> cute little kids. >> motherhood does change you, mostly in a good way. >> yeah. especially when you hear that crying. but go ahead. you wanted to encourage folks. >> i wanted to encourage folks to send in your awkward holiday photos. if you have photos of your children that have an aversion

to santa, crying, please send them to us. tweet us, facebook us. @wnn. >> and we'll show them on the air between now and christmas. stay with us. >> announcer: this is abc's "world news now."kx1ñ ñ

this morning on "world news now," the bizarre plot to kill justin bieber. police say the singer was the target in a murder-for-hire scheme. >> grisly details of the plan are being revealed this morning. it is thursday, december 13th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." >> weird news today, huh? good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm paula faris. we'll explain why this plot against justin bieber is so

especially disturbing in our top story. that's why we were just cringing. also this half hour, the deadly mall shooting on the minds of so many holiday shoppers. what everyone can learn from the shoppers who survived this ordeal in oregon. unfortunately, tactics that we have disseminated too many times this year. >> there are simple steps that you can take. no one wants to think about going to the mall during christmas can turn into that. but there are some things you can do, that's for sure. and then, what does hillary clinton have planned for her next chapter? she talks to barbara walters about her future. >> look at hillary getting all glam. and later, we know they look great. but there just might be a victoria's secret. those models can strut their stuff, but there's something they cannot do very well. just one thing. >> let's just keep that video up, shall we? they're not known for their singing. but first, that plot to kill

justin bieber. he's fine. he played a concert last night in atlanta. >> the men who wanted to kill the megastar singer are now in custody. that's the good news. authorities are releasing information about how they planned to kill bieber, and several others. the details of the plot to kill justin bieber are as gruesome as they are bizarre. it all starts with dana martin, who is in prison for rape and murder in new mexico. the 45-year-old has an image of bieber tattooed on his leg. after several letters to the pop star went unanswered, affidavits say martin krecruiting another inmate, mark staky, to kill bieber after his release. >> this wasn't just one person acting alone or two people plotting together. this was a group that was really orchestrated by someone who was already in prison. so it's fascinating to me. >> reporter: in october, they first went to vermont where they planned to kill two unnamed victims.

but that never happened because staky was arrested by border patrol agents on outstanding warrants. the other continued to new york where he planned to kill bieber and his bodyguard in late november. the affidavit says that during phone calls between the two, authorities heard references to murder plots. when ruane was arrested in new york, a pair of pruning shears, which were to be used to mutilate bieber, was found in his car. bieber's camp is being relatively tight lipped about all this. the only thing his rep told us is every precaution is being taken to assure bieber's safety, as well as the safety of his fans. bizarre is not even the word for that story. >> you mentioned those shears, those gardening clippers. that they were planning on castrating him with a reward for each testicle they were able to cut off and then eventually strangle him with a paisley necktie. >> i'm going to go out on a limb and say maybe these guys have a few issues. just a tiny bit crazy. the good news is, these are

obviously deranged criminals and could have been a threat to his life. so we're glad the authorities, you know, have them in custody now. that's the good news. but wow, what a -- oh, what a world we live in. >> yes. there are good people out there, though. let's remind ourselves of that. every day. now to the dallas cowboys and a change of status for josh brent. he's facing an intoxicated manslaughter charge in connection with a car accident saturday morning which a friend and teammate was killed. the cowboys have put brent on what's called the nonfootball illness list. he will not play again this season, but is still on the team. cowboys management says it's important for him to have access to his teammates during this time, which is important. hundreds of students at cal state fullerton have been on lockdown for hours as police search the campus for two robbery suspects. the men are accused of shooting a jewelry store employee before leading officers on a wild car

chase that ended near the campus. police are not certain the men are still on the grounds, but they're going from room to room in several halls just to make sure. we're learning more about the gunman in that oregon mall shooting. friends say jacob tyler roberts was friendly, outgoing, not the profile of the typical angry loner involved in these types of shootings. his former girlfriend even spoke about the relationship exclusively to abc news. >> this was the last thing i would have ever expected, especially from him. he was just too sweet. never mean to anybody. >> roberts's aunt who raised him expressed shock and sorrow, saying the violent behavior was simply out of character. and there were incredible survival stories in the aftermath of the shooting. abc's david wright reports we can learn something from shoppers who lived through this unforgettable ordeal. >> reporter: we learned how cold blooded the killer was. police say roberts made a

beeline from his car in the parking lot through macy's, carrying an ar-15 semi-automatic assault rifle. he wore a ballistics vest packed with ammo and a hockey styled face mask. by the time he got to the food court, he was already firing, killing cindy ann yuille and steven forsyth. he shot down into the lower level courtyard, too. hitting kristina shevchenko, a 15-year-old. then his gun jammed. police say roberts bolted down a flight of stairs, got his rifle working again and killed himself near jcpenneys. >> this was a heartbreaking tragedy by any standard. >> reporter: everyone agreed it was a miracle only two people were killed. experts say in a situation like this, is most important thing is to make yourself less of a target. run away or find cover, preferably behind something hard. >> the best being a mailbox or freestanding atm. get behind that. because those are very hard surfaces. >> reporter: the mall santa dove

to the floor. >> i know everybody else ran, but to me, running is a target. >> reporter: a big red target in your case. >> right. that was my thought. i said i'm a real good target. >> reporter: the mall had an emergency lockdown procedure designed for situations like this. >> from people who survive cases like this, you'll find they reacted quickly. they realized it was an emergency and reacted. >> reporter: reactions that clearly saved lives. david wright, abc news, clackamas, oregon. >> quick reaction, but not just that. that gun jammed. just think how much more damage he could have done with that semiautomatic rifle. >> and 10,000 people in that huge facility at the time. in both this case and the aurora case, they had a mask when they went in. we talked to a news consultant from the fbi. sometimes the killers wear the masks because they detach from who they are in reality. because it gives them a sense of power to carry out the violence when they're shooting those people. >> they put on a character almost. >> exactly. the u.s. and its european allies favor new sanctions on

north korea for this week's successful rocket launch. the u.n. security council says it will consider an appropriate response. but china, north korea's biggest ally, says a moderate response is needed to avoid further escalation. and software pioneer john mcafee is back in the u.s. after being deported from guatemala. he arrived in miami last night and went to an upscale hotel. it's not clear what if any legal issues he faces in the states. officials in belize want to question him in connection with the murder of a neighbor. so this confusing and bizarre story continues. >> indeed. this could be the biggest news story of the day. the announcement that so many of us, and i put myself in this category, the directionally challenged. this is the news we have been waiting for. here we go. google maps is back for apple's iphone 5. the new google maps app for the iphone was released last night. it comes out three months after

apple replaced google maps with its own mapping technology. as many of us know, that was a complete disaster. as we have reported. so now google maps are back on the iphone. it was so bad, apple axed two of their executives because that software was so bad. so smart move, apple. thank you. >> and their ceo came out and said we really screwed up. the whole reason for this relationship falling apart between apple and google and the reason apple went on their own, google did not want to give apple access to turn-by-turn directions, which is very important to some of us. >> myself included. >> i'm like go north? is that right or left? >> exactly, the digital world is a little competitive there. i have trouble on the set. >> last time i got off the subway, i started walking in the wrong direction. i have no sense of direction. >> me either. no one. my entire family. >> here's a look at your weather today. >> oh, wrong camera.

>> morning showers on the carolina coast. south florida, some scattered showers around phoenix. southern california and vegas. we also have mountain snow near l.a., the sierra range and the rockies. late-day showers in the pacific northwest. >> 40s from seattle to colorado springs. 50s in the plains. 40s in the midwest. 80 in miami. finally this morning -- >> over here. >> which camera. >> the most fast nating people, thanks to our own barbara walters. wrong camera? honey boo-boo is on the less, but thankfully she wasn't the most fascinating of the year. >> the top honor went to former cia director david petraeus. as we all know, he went from being the nation's top spy to infamy because of an affair with his biographer, paula broadwell. >> as the headline said, "in the line of booty." and petraeus may have uttered the sound bite of the year about the affair. he told friends, "i screwed up royally."

we did cover that story for many, many weeks. that wasn't me talking. it was a new york headline. >> so you're going to get quite a few creative headlines here in new york. >> so another very compelling list. it was another fascinating year. we'll see what 2013 brings. coming up next, what hillary clinton had to say to barbara walters about her political future. and the imperfection we found in victoria's secret models. who look so perfect as they pose. i think we're nitpicking, aren't we? >> oh, please. look at that. >> i don't know. just look that. >> light that candle. ♪ just the way you are ♪ and when you smile >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by charmin ultra soft. [ dylan ] this is one way to keep your underwear clean. this is another! ta-daa! try charmin ultra strong. it cleans so well and you can use up to four times less than the leading value brand.

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♪ this girl is on fire this girl is on fire ♪ another chapter in hillary clinton's life is about to come to a close. and what she's going to do next is the subject of much speculation. >> that's right. the former first lady, senator, and of course now, secretary of state, recently turned 65 years old and our own barbara walters sat down with mrs. clinton for a chat about her future. >> what most people are asking now about you is, will you consider running for president in 2016? would you just like to make your declaration now and we can conclude this interview. >> that would be fascinating to me, as well as everyone else. i've said i really don't believe that that's something i will do again.

i am so grateful i had the experience of doing it before. but i think there are lots of ways to serve. so i will continue to serve. >> what would it take to convince you to run in 2016? >> that's all hypothetical, because right now i have no intention of running. >> we also wondered after four years at her post as secretary of state, what keeps her up at night? what worries you the most? >> iran. iran worries me the most. because it's not only the terrible prospect that they might have a nuclear weapon, they're already engaging in terrorism all over the world, directly through their own agents, using others like hezbollah. >> what about here? could they attack us here? >> well, remember, they had a plot to murder the saudi ambassador right here in washington. and so when i look at the threat, it's not only this

horrible prospect of what would happen to the world if they got a nuclear weapon, but it's what they do every day to try to project their aggressive image and attempt to, you know, influence the world. >> bill and hillary clinton are nothing if not political animals. who knows where the world or the country will be in four years? but it's hard to imagine that if history calls hillary clinton not only to be the first female president, but to be the first husband and wife to ever serve as president and then to maintain democratic control on capitol hill, can you imagine hillary clinton of all people not answering that phone call from history? it's just hard to imagine. >> when she was pressed, she said she would be concerned about her age. she would be 77 years old if she were to be in office two terms. but she has been traveling. she spent the equivalent of a year on the plane. >> just to show you how people are thinking ahead, newt gingrich gave a very interesting interview.

he said, i mean, if their competitor in 20161 going to be hillary clinton, supported by bill clinton, and presumably by a still relatively popular president barack obama, trying to win that will be like trying to win the super bowl. and the republican party today is incapable of competing at that level. that's newt gingrich talking here. so everyone is wondering will she, the popular belief is she decides to jump in, it could be hers. but does she want it? is the energy there? the age factor. it could be fascinating. >> it would be like the patriots against the jets. still to come -- deck the halls. how about wreck the halls? >> the victoria's secret models release a video i'll watch in private. i have no idea what they say, but they sure look good. we'll be right back. >> announcer: world news now

♪ when i see your face there's not a thing that i would change ♪ >> yes, indeed. >> this should be your favorite story of the day. >> this is. victoria's secret angels, those eyes, lips, the curves, perfection in every conceivable way. >> ah, except one. can they sing? linsey davis tells us how they may have hit their first wrong note, ever. >> reporter: just call them dancer, prancer and vixen. only it's not exactly their noses that are red but their cheeks, flush with embarrassment now that this holiday video from victoria's secret is making its way around the internet. and not for the reason you might think. ♪ don we now our gay apparel, fa la, la, la, la ♪ no, is it fa la, la, la? >> reporter: they may seem well rounded, but these beautiful christmas angels aren't nearly

as perfect as they look, at least when it comes to singing. just listen to them flubbing "deck the halls." ♪ deck the halls with boughs of jolly -- holly ♪ ♪ deck the halls with boughs of honey ♪ let's deck it with honey. >> reporter: the real beauty of it all, victoria's secret sees this as a selling point. >> a commercial like this can help the models a little more relatable. so this is a good way to bring them down a little bit. ♪ la, la, la, la >> come on, candles. work with me. >> reporter: of course, they're not the only ones that have allowed themselves to be the butt of a joke and come up with advertising gold. jennifer aniston laughed all the way to the bank in this spoof for smart water. >> how are my little triplets doing? >> reporter: have you learned the lyrics to the song now? >> no, i still -- the day before i was racking my brain trying to remember the lyrics. there's a lot of words we don't use anymore, like troll and boughs of holly. lads and lasses.

>> reporter: for these ladies, messing up never looked so good. linsey davis, abc news, new york. >> you'll still put a lump of coal -- you wouldn't put a lump of coal in their stocking, would you? >> i think they sounded great. harmonious joy. >> that's because you're tone deaf, as well. >> that is very true. i think they sounded lovely. somebody call the grammy committee.

♪ welcome back, everybody. we have a few i guess more newsy stories to start off tonight in "the mix" here. apparently the census has come out with some fascinating new numbers here that revised some of the projections in terms of the changing demographics of the country, showing hispanics will

be the majority in the u.s. by the year 2043. again, hispanics the majority by the year 2043. and the shrinking white population, but increasing among the hispanics. and african-americans in the country. we understand the political implications of that. the birthrate is just higher in those communities compared to the white population here. so america is quickly changing too. so we're becoming a majority/minority country. the census has put an official date. 2-0-4-3. i think that's the year i can officially retire. according to my last pension statement. >> gracias, senior. >> exactly. you're not going to have to wait until 2043 to see an apple tv. more evidence that they are working towards that direction and "the wall street journal" on wednesday morning says apple tests designs for tvs, working with component suppliers to test several tv set designs. apple has moved to release its television still in the early stages of testing. you probably remember steve jobs when he was here on earth said he was interested in creating a television that would have one of the simplest interfaces ever.

this was kind of a dream of his. but it's worth noting that a lot of projects go into testing and never see the light of day. but i wonder if it's touch screen. >> i've heard people rave about that. people who seen it have raved about it. and now up for the most ignorant parent award. a baby center, a site you go to, released their unusual baby names for 2012. names that were given to at least two children during the course of the year. female names. thinn, with two ns. yoga. and zealand. odd names for a boy. espn, burger, and haven't. another name, taco bm monster. >> these are actual names. >> they have to have at least two names to be added to this list. >> at least two crazy people. picked those names. wow. >> just don't do that to your kids ever. >> they're going to have a rough time in kinder garden. >> also, this will come as welcome news to many of you out

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this morning on "world news now," mystery gunman. who was the suspect who put on a mask and camouflage and opened fire in an oregon shopping center? >> this morning, the new clues from insiders and the latest leads from investigators. it is thursday, december 13th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." good thursday morning, everybody, i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm paula faris. we're going to get the latest on

that deadly mall shooting investigation in our top story. then, to the capitol hill, where the fiscal cliff is just 19 days away. the political negotiations between the president and gop is painstakingly slow. and the taxing situation is already having an impact on the economy and our news cast, because it continues to dominate. we wish it weren't so. >> i think until new year's eve on the 31st, it's going to dominate everybody's newscast, unfortunately here. compromise ain't easy. also this morning, reliving a disaster. who has rebuilt the hindenberg blimp and set it on fire? we all have the opportunity right now to watch and to learn. and later this half hour, the star-studded 12-12-12 concert here in new york that lasted about 12 hours. the memorable performances, the incredible talent, and the money raised for hurricane sandy survivors. >> i saw some incredible stats. the big concert they did after

9/11 had raised, like, $33 million. i think they had almost raised as much, if not a little bit more than that, before this concert tonight. so hopefully it's gone a long way to help folks in the northeast who still need the help. it's going to be a rough holiday for a lot of people. so thank you. apparently quite a show, too. >> and they can still help. but first, this morning, new details about the young man who opened fire at the oregon mall. friends describe jacob roberts as friendly and outgoing, not the typical profile of an anti-social loner. >> but that all seems to have changed in the week leading up to this tragedy. here's abc's neal karlinsky. [ sirens blaring ] >> reporter: chaos amidst the christmas shopping rush. lines of shoppers, even children could be seen streaming out with their hands up while a shooter was still inside. police say the gunman was 22-year-old jacob tyler roberts, a young man with no history of

serious trouble, who they say stole an assault rifle from an acquaintance and set off alone on a deadly rampage. in an interview with abc news, the shooter's ex-girlfriend told us she has no idea what could have triggered the sudden and brutal attack. >> this is the last thing i would have ever expected. especially from him. he was just too sweet. he was never mean to anybody. >> reporter: she says just last week, the guy she knew as fun-loving and nonviolent suddenly quit his job at a greek deli and sold all of his belongings, telling her he was leaving portland and moving to hawaii. >> he had his plane ticket, he was ready to go. and then this happened and it just makes me think if hawaii was even in the back of his mind. >> reporter: nothing like the calculated killer police say stormed one of portland's most popular shopping malls, killing

54-year-old hospice nurse cindy ann yuill who was christmas shopping. and 45-year-old steven forsyth, a father of two who ran a business in the mall. and wounding this 15-year-old, kristina, now in the hospital. the woman who raised roberts released this picture of a once happy little boy, and asked her friend to read a statement. >> she has no understanding or explanation for her son's behavior. she's very sad and wants everyone to know she's so sorry for what jake did. it's so out of his character. >> reporter: police are running down search warrants on the shooter's home and car, trying anything they can to get into his frame of mind. so far, from everything we know from friends and family, there is just no good explanation as to what set him off. neal karlinsky, abc news, portland. >> the lingering question of why. in other news this morning, cal state's fullerton campus is on lockdown this morning as police search for two men believed to be armed and dangerous.

police say the men were involved in a robbery at a nearby jewelry store where one person was shot. three other suspects were arrested. at least one of the men was spotted in a campus hall. students have been tweeting pictures of the scene, including shots of themselves hunkered down in dark classrooms. and now to a bleak assessment of the nation's economic future. from federal reserve chairman ben bernanke. he told people that investors are nervous about the fiscal cliff. the fed predicts the unemployment rate will remain high next year, but interest rates will remain very low for the foreseeable future. >> bernanke says the best thing congress can do to solve this political stalemate very soon to avoid an economic downturn with just 19 days until the fiscal cliff, now both sides in this standoff seem no closer to a deal. the public rhetoric, though, is ramping up, while the private talks seem to be at a standstill over the same tax hangups. >> the president and i had a frank conversation about how far

apart we are. >> he has made abundantly clear both in his policy presentations and in what he has said to you and to the american public that he is willing to make tough choices on the spending side. the overseas markets though, don't seem to be too concerned about the lack of progress. stocks actually are mostly up, in fact. >> there's all kinds of polls out there. we have an abc news poll, fox news poll. i think overwhelmingly, the majority of americans support president obama on raising the taxes on the wealthiest. but i thought this was interesting. a majority of republicans think cuts to entitlement programs, should be made now, even if it's tough on families. but democrats think they should be continued to be funded at their current levels, even if it means passing on trillions of dollars of debt to future generations. >> that is the fox news poll just to be clear. >> that is the fox news poll.

>> you would think if the issue is the president ran on the idea of raising tax rates for the wealthy, got re-elected on that idea of raising tax rates for the wealthy, the majority of americans seem to support that, even now, in the midst of the negotiations. isn't it time to seal the deal and be done? the white house seems to be taking the stance that until you agree not just to raise tax revenue and tax rates, that is where the president is going to put his feet in the cement on the issue. so that seems to be the gateway to get to what the republicans want which is deeper spending cuts. so they haven't agreed to that yet. tax revenue they have agreed to, not tax rates. the country agrees with the president on that issue. as of now. >> as of now. thanks to a congressional act, commercial breaks on tv may be a lot less annoying. the commercial advertisement loudness mitigation act, went into effect this morning. it's now illegal for tv broadcasters to blare the ads at

a volume louder than the programming. viewers can report the violators to the fcc. so parents who complain about the commercials, you can now complain. >> it is annoying. the show's at one level and the commercial comes on and it's blaring. so good that you can report that now. >> contact the fcc, not us. we're moving on to 12-13 today, of course, but not before one last nod to yesterday, the day of 12-12-12. it was the 12th birthday of cole sawyer, a 6th grader in new york. >> to mark his big day, he decided to collect 1,200 pounds of food for local pets. when it was all counted up yesterday, he and his friends had gathered nearly 2,200 pounds of food. >> well done. the kids and some local businesses also donated other supplies to animal groups and needy families with pets. well done, mr. cole sawyer and all the kids who helped out. always good to see you exceed your goals when it comes to something charitable. that's fantastic.

>> and we don't want to take away any of the credit that belongs to him. exactly they gathered 2,194 pounds. so how about that. >> hat's off, kid. >> really exceeded the expectations. that's a lot of tons of pet food. >> indeed. eat up, pets. coming up, 60 years of satire. we're celebrating a "mad" magazine milestone. and the amazing talent on the same stage, performing a great public service, all in the name of hurricane sandy survivors. that's coming up on "world news now." ♪ we'll walk in the sun ♪ but till then tramps like us baby we were born to round come on, tramps like us ♪ ♪ baby we were born to run >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by colonial penn life insurance. [ female announcer ] what does the anti-aging power of olay total effects

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♪ the crash of the hindenberg was one of the most notorious accidents in american history. the radio reporter's description of the humanity simply iconic. >> even after 75 years, the cause of the disaster is still a mystery. now the discovery channel is aiming to solve it. here's abc's john schriffen.

>> reporter: it's one of aviation's greatest mysteries. >> it burst into flames. it burst into flames and it's falling! oh, the humanity! >> reporter: 75 years later, scientists finally believe they now know why the hindenberg burst into flames, killing 36 of the 99 people on board. >> three, two, one. >> reporter: check out these life-sized replicas, 80 feet long, getting blown up. over and over again. it's all part of discovery channel's "curiosity" series, to find out what really happened. >> that's not far off the real thing. >> we tested the theory that shooting at the hindenberg would take out down. we tested the theory of a bomb. we tested static electricity. we tested the flammability of the skin. >> reporter: to re-create one of

the first major disasters caught on camera, physicist steve wolf and the team test each theory, one at a time. lightning, a bomb, a spark. the question is, was the hindenberg brought down by mother nature, sabotage, or something else? >> in our lab testing, most of those theories really didn't pan out. but one of them does. >> reporter: after three quarters of a century, the team will now make the public wait just a bit longer if for answer, releasing their findings on sunday. john schriffen, abc news, new york. >> should be fascinating what answer they come up with. obviously, it's best known for those fiery images. but in its heyday, that was the fastest and most comfortable way to get across the atlantic. so it was a milestone at the time. of course, we remember how it ended, just like the "titanic." we remember the tragedy, not the accomplishment. >> that was the first trip from europe to north america of the 1937 season. and they didn't have a full

airship, only 36 passengers. at that time in 1937, $400 per ticket, one way, $720 round trip. think of what that would cost in today's parameters. >> no kidding. we'll get answers perhaps on sunday. well before jon stewart and steven colbert, political satire was in the pages of "mad" magazine. >> and now "mad" is celebrating 60 years of poking fun. it's coming up on "world news now." >> announcer: "world news now" continues after this from our

♪ ♪ mad world mad world nice song choice, guys. "mad" magazine is celebrating 60 years of making fun of the american landscape with a brand new book. >> it's called "totally mad -- 60 years of humor, satire, stupidity and stupidity." a little bit more, because none

of us can get enough. here to help us celebrate this stupid milestone, can we call it that? not really. long-time "mad" magazine writer dick debartolo. we're used to you as the "giz wi wiz". >> let me read this one line. as of his byline in issue 502 in 2009, your material has appeared in 400 consecutive issues of "mad" magazine dating back to 1966, my friend. >> yeah, yeah. >> you are a veteran. >> i've been paid for five of those issues. >> but you know what? >> the check's in the mail. >> but you get paid? >> yes. >> how did you get started? >> it's 20 years i've been on "world news now," too. >> wow. >> the first time i ever sat at the adult table. >> really? >> yeah, yeah. >> we haven't been there that long either. >> if you want to quantify us as adults. >> how did you get started, though? >> i was back in high school, reading "mad." after about a year, i thought, i don't want to read this, i want to write this. so i wrote a satire and i read

in a magazine, if you submit something, send a self-addressed stamped envelope. otherwise, they'll throw it out if it's rejected. so six weeks later, i get my envelope back. i'm heartbroken. i open the envelope, and it's stuffed with cardboard. the cardboard says, ha, ha, ha, thought this was your script being returned. guess what? we bought it. stapled to this cardboard is a check and it was signed by nick megland. who was the co-editor for years. >> very cool. >> it was like a "mad" way. >> exactly. you were the creative consultant from 1984 to 2009. but as rob mentioned, you've contributed to 400 consecutive issues, dating back to '66. how many straight issues, and give us an example of your most popular work. >> oh, well you know what, i did a lot of the "star wars" takeoffs. one of my favorite stories about the "star wars" takeoff, after the first issue -- the first satire i did, mort

drucker doing the artwork. mort and i both got a letter from george lucas saying there should be an academy award for satire, one for mort drucker, one for dick debartolo, and i totally enjoyed it. two days later, we get a letter from lucas' attorneys. we are suing you for your infringement of our "star wars" property. so i said to bill, the publisher back then and founder, what are you going to do? he said, i'm writing, gee, george liked it. and they sent him a copy of the letter. never heard from them again. >> and the height of its circulation, 2 million subscribers. this was a huge cultural force in the country. what do you think was the secret to its success and what is it like to be on the inside of that? >> well, you know what? it was the first magazine to tell people, don't trust anybody. that the government might be doing things behind your back. manufacturers are probably trying to not tell you the whole

story. "mad" used to be anti-smoking, anti-drinking. we still are. but they were the first ones of the choking poster. this is one of the most republished things that i did, the choking poster. find out what the victim is choking on, do not order that dish for yourself. but it looks like -- and the fun part is that it looks like the real thing. >> what does "mad" magazine look like now? because some people don't know. you guys are still in circulation. >> we are. still in circulation. still looks the same. the current issue. what's nice about the "mad" 60 -- >> show this book. >> this is your copy. >> they showed it earlier. the entire staff signed it. we didn't put your names on it so that you can read it and then pass it on for christmas gifts. >> love it. >> very cool. >> or put it up on ebay. >> what is your favorite part? >> my favorite part is the

stories about bill gaines, the founder of the magazine. and also no matter when you read "mad" there's something in there you'll find because there's something from all 60 years of "mad" in it. >> this is awesome. thank you, sir. we do appreciate it. >> i'll see you next month. c.e.s. gadgets. i'll have the other hat on. >> this man does it all. congrats on this. thanks for sharing. we'll be back, everybody. stay with us. we'll be back, everybody. stay with us. lind

♪ ♪ get the music all right, welcome back, everybody. the who right there singing "pinball wizard," just one of the many legendary moments on the bill last night at madison square garden. >> the epic concert was a benefit for the survivors of hurricane sandy. it also provided a once-in-a-lifetime experience for everybody who was there.

abc's jeff pegues lucked out, and his assignment brings us the story. >> reporter: on the outside, music fans were still hoping to score seats to the concert. >> i'm trying to get a ticket. so bruce, if you're watching. ♪ behind your sorrows >> reporter: on the inside, bruce springsteen, the boss, and his e. street band kicked things off, rocking madison square garden, as the 12-12-12 concert for sandy relief got under way. ♪ it's now or never >> reporter: it is a star-studded show. raising money for residents of the tristate area, still suffering after the storm. >> the damage from sandy was as much as $70 billion. our national and local governments are responding but it's just not enough, which is why we're all here tonight. >> reporter: the money raised here will go to an organization called the robin hood relief fund, and then it will be distributed to sandy's hardest hit areas. ♪ get you on your feet again >> reporter: the stars helping out have strong personal connections to the region.

many are either current residents of the tristate area or many grew up here. ♪ but tomorrow there will be sunshine ♪ >> reporter: no one is more associated with new jersey than the boss and the members of his band. >> yes, it's a little bit more personal because literally the jersey shore where we grew up. >> reporter: the jersey shore hit hard by the storms. residents there and people here acknowledge it will take years to rebuild and billions of dollars. they will raise a ton of money with this concert, but even celebrities acknowledging that it will be just a drop in the bucket in terms of what's needed to rebuild. jeff pegues, abc news, new york. >> a drop in the bucket but a fantastic start. that's for sure. some of those big headliners have ties here, were born here, raised here. you think of bon jovi, bruce springsteen. billy joel. >> rob nelson up there jamming. >> so many good folks from this

area. always good to see them help. >> i didn't know that you could play such fine instruments. >> a man of many talents. as is our dick debartolo. so as you saw a second ago, if you want to get a copy of the book, check it out on amazon.com. help celebrate "mad" magazine. and congrats to all those artists last night.

this morning on "world news now," the search for answers. we're learning new details about the gunman in the deadly oregon mall shooting. >> and while we know who he was, investigators are still trying to figure out why he snapped. it's thursday, december 13th. >> announcer: from abc news, this is "world news now." >> happy thursday. we're almost to the weekend. i'm paula faris. >> good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. some of the people who knew mall

shooter jacob tyler roberts best are now speaking out. we'll get to all of that in a moment. the chilling part is there seemed to be no signal at all. >> out of character. >> really out of character. he just snapped and that's what led to the tragedy. unbelievable. also this half hour of the show, justin bieber, the target of a possible murder. police uncover what they say was a plot literally to kill the superstar. >> kill but also torture. leading up. it's a very disturbing plot. also ahead, bringing babies into a labor battle. the union workers using the sound of wailing babies as a weapon. >> i can't imagine anything more effective than the sound of a screaming child. ooh. >> you'll be much more empathetic when you have your own. >> perhaps. perhaps. in the meantime. who is the most fascinating person of 2012? barbara walters shares her pick. it was unveiled last night during her annual special.

interesting choice. you can see this person made a lot of big headlines this year. we're not going to reveal who it is, but interesting choice. stay tuned for that. barbara always comes up with a good list, 2012 no exception. >> yes. but first, the search for a motive in that oregon mall shooting. those who knew jacob roberts say he was a friendly, outgoing type. >> but something changed drastically in the days before he opened fire. we get the latest now from our own sunny hostin. >> reporter: detectives have revealed the man who unleashed an hour of terror inside the packed portland shopping mall on tuesday. they say 22-year-old jacob tyler roberts stole a semi automatic rifle from someone he knew, killed two people and seriously wounded a third. police say roberts entered at macy's and began shooting patrons in the mall's food court. killing 55-year-old hospice nurse cindy yuille and

45-year-old father of two, steven forsyth. roberts, in his hockey-style facemask and load-bearing vest, continued shooting into the lower level mall courtyard, wounding 15-year-old kristina shevkenko. >> she's still in serious condition. we are optimistic about her eventual recovery. >> reporter: roberts then killed himself near jcpenneys. what was behind his mission is still a mystery. roberts' ex-girlfriend hannah exclusively told abc news that he had quit his job, sold all of his belongings, and was moving to hawaii. >> this is the last thing i ever expected, especially from him. he was just too sweet. he was never mean to anybody. >> reporter: tammy roberts, roberts' aunt who raised him, also has no answers. >> she has no understanding or explanation for her son's behavior. she's very sad and wants everyone to know she's so sorry what jake did and it's so out of his character. >> reporter: sunny hostin, abc

news, new york. >> just to reiterate, police believe and authorities believe he stole the gun that he used in the rampage. they searched his home and car, but ex-girlfriend, she had been with him a year, his mother -- not his biological mother, his aunt, said completely out of character. his girlfriend texted him over the weekend. he was supposed to go to hawaii. did you make it safely? he's like, i got drunk and i missed my flight. she doesn't even know if he bought a ticket. >> she said something chilling too. she says, i don't understand. i was just with him. i just talked to him. i didn't believe it was him at all. not one part of me believed it. you get a sense of how stunned she was. there was just never a sign this was a violent person. maybe going through a tough time. never a sense that he was capable of anything like this. we hear so much about that in these cases, a person just snaps and it leads to this carnage. it's hard to get your mind around what causes someone to lose it like that. now we're going to turn to that story you mentioned just a

moment ago. that bizarre murder plot involving pop superstar justin bieber. it was hatched by an inmate in new mexico, man named dana martin after several written attacks to contact bieber went unanswered. martin recruited a fellow inmate, his nephew, in fact, to carry out the plot against bieber while bieber was here in new york last month. both men were apprehended before they could do any harm. his bodyguard and two other unnamed people potentially could have been hurt in this plot, as well. >> so hatched in prison. he ordered these two guys to pull it off, those two guys -- what happened was when they were in vermont, they took a wrong turn and wound up in canada. that's how this whole thing unfolded. but they were hired to use fiskars scissors to do some gruesome things to justin. >> they wanted to mutilate him. >> i don't want to go into further detail because a lot of the guys out there might, um -- >> oh. wow. >> yes. they were eventually going to strangle him with a tie.

>> and this guy's a fan. he's not, like, a hater, for lack of a better phrase. he apparently has a tattoo of bieber on his leg. so he's just a die hard fan that was upset for not hearing back after he wrote those letters. so they're going to face some serious charges, too. but we hear about celebrity stalkers all the time. this is a different level. >> luckily they took that wrong turn into canada and it was foiled. >> amen to that. wow. john mcafee's legal saga has taken another turn this morning. the software pioneer is back in the u.s. after the guatemalan government deported him. he arrived in miami last night and spoke to reporters from his hotel in south beach. he complained that he had been forcibly separated from his girlfriend, but says she would be coming to the u.s. sometime soon. and the u.s. is looking up ways to ratchet up the pressure on north korea following that successful launch of a long-range missile. experts say the launch is exactly what north korea's new young leader needed to prove analysts say, he's every bit his

late father's provocative son. >> the message to the world is don't mess with me. i not only have the weapons, i have the delivery capability now. >> the united nations has condemned that launch. it's called for an appropriate response, which could mean more sanctions against north korea. an update on the health of former south african president nelson mandela. doctors say the 94-year-old leader is making progress against a lung infection that's kept him in the hospital since saturday. still no word yet on when he might be released. california governor jerry brown has been diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer. brown's doctor says the cancer is localized and his prognosis is excellent. the 74-year-old is undergoing conventional radiotherapy until the first week of january. and he plans to stay on the job throughout his treatment. >> many people work through radiation therapy for prostate cancer. i think our governor would be

much happier working than not working. so yes, he should still do it. >> keep his mind off of it, right? the doctor says he's not expecting the governor to experience any significant side effects. last year, brown was treated for a common form of skin cancer on his face. important consumer news to pass on to you this morning. honda is recalling hundreds of thousands of cars that may simply roll away, even when the transmission is in park. the recall affects 800,000 minivans and suvs made between 2003 and 2006. they include the honda odyssey, pilot and the acura mdx. honda needs to repair a defect in the ignition because cars can simply roll away after drivers stop and remove the key and get out. this thing just kind of goes on its own. so recall notices go out in february and repairs will be free. you breathe a sigh of relief. this does not affect your car. >> because i have a hoopty. i've got a big old minivan.

an odyssey. i've had four hondas. >> you're loyal. >> i am loyal. >> very nice. here's your thursday forecast. scattered showers around san diego. los angeles and vegas. snow in the l.a. mountains and northern rockies. light rain from portland to seattle and showers along the carolina coast. >> 50s from atlanta to the big apple. 40s in the midwest and rockies. 27 in fargo. 37 in the twin cities. >> i liked your fargo accent. >> i tried. it was bad. >> it was bad. even though it's now 12-13, we can't get enough of this 12-12-12 stuff from yesterday. so that is why this is our -- boom -- "favorite story of the day." takes us to a sixth grade classroom in rural central wisconsin where three classmates celebrated their, yeah, 12th birthday on 12-12-12. >> abbey and gabby bargander and simon brohm marked their big day

sharing cup cakes and juice with all their family and friends. everyone was showing their green bay packer spirit. not only was it 12-12-12, it was also aaron rodgers day in wisconsin. he wears number 12, so there you have it. all about aaron rodgers. >> it was a cool date, though. and we will not live to see the next repetitive date, 1-1-2101, 88 years away. so it's good we got one under our belt. because we'll be in another place, a better place. >> who knows, you might be living. you could find the fountain of youth. >> nothing in my gene pool suggests that. coming up, britney spears is number one on a brand-new list. >> and a new top for new york's number one landmark. a construction milestone to make the big apple proud, coming up on "world news now." ♪ new york ♪ concrete jungle where dreams are made of there's nothing you can't do now you're in new york ♪ >> announcer: "world news now" weather brought to you by

lifestyle lift.

♪ ♪ even if it ain't all it seems i got a pocket full of dreams ♪ ♪ i'm from new york, concrete jungle where dreams are made of ♪ welcome back, everyone. the first section of the spire that would make the new world

trade center the tallest building in the western hemisphere is now in place. it took workers half an hour to hoist the 70-ton piece of galvanized steel to the top of the 104-story building. and it caught the eye of tourists and new yorkers alike who paused to honor the significance of that moment. >> it means a lot to all of us. it shows the resilience of the region, the country, and even the world. >> it does send a strong message. that section is among 18 pieces that will form the spire. they were made in canada and sent by barge. once in place, the full height of the building will be 1,776 feet. a beacon of light for all to see. >> a symbolic height on that, too. i love that whole thing. >> mm-hmm. union workers in philadelphia are sending a loud and very clear message. and they're using one of the most irritating sounds in the world to do it. [ baby crying ] >> pay fair wages. [ baby crying ] >> yes, that bawling baby has been torturing residents at an

apartment complex for days now. unionized electricians have been piping the annoying cry through loudspeakers to protest a nonunion contractor hired there. tenants caught in the middle, as you can imagine, have had enough. >> they don't seem to care. even when we approached them nicely on the first day, they seemed to ignore us. >> it's well within the law. it's within the first amendment. >> that union official did agree to cut off the baby crying, at least for now. he said in the spirit of the season, they'll blast christmas carols instead, and let the debate rage on which is more annoying, a baby or certain carols. but there we are. >> and all the nursing mothers can't go anywhere near it, because if a nursing mother hears a baby cry -- >> you guys run to it instinctively. >> no. something happens. >> what? >> the milk.

>> is that true? >> remember julia roberts had a famous speech and yeah. she needed a baby to cry. yeah. the milk lets down. >> i never knew that. >> it's an audible. if you hear a baby cry, your body lets down the milk and you're ready to go. >> wow. you creatures are amazing. >> we are. >> you do it all. >> why don't you bow right now? >> waa. [ laughter ] >> sorry if i got a little graphic. it's just nature, everybody. >> a great tv moment. >> it was. you have so much to learn, rob. >> i do. coming up next, the year's most fascinating person. and women musicians taking their talent to the bank. who makes the most? all next in "the skinny."

♪ skinny, so skinny in the house! >> yes, indeed, "skinny" time here. barbara walters every year puts on her big most fascinating people of the year special, the ten most. this year reflecting on 2012 here. she had a good list this year. i watched part of it last night. we had several people. ben affleck made the list. prince harry was on the list. honey boo-boo. of course we did that. and gabby douglas, the olympic champ. the band one direction which folks far younger than we know who they are. seth mcfarlane.

e.l. james, the author of the "fifty shades of gray" book. very satisfying read. who else? secretary of state hillary clinton, governor chris christie. and the big secret is who is number one and this was this year's honoree. >> general david petraeus was not chosen this year for his war record or his exemplary service to his country. this is about military honor colliding with sex and lies in the digital age. >> sex and lies in the digital age. that sums it up. the fall from grace. >> a g mail account. >> we have all witnessed that in the headlines for weeks. and all that good stuff. one of the biggest scandals of the year. so i get why barbara picked him. she did not interview him. i get why that would top the list. again, the key word, fascinating. that's a good way to encapsulate that list every year. >> maybe next year you'll be on it, rob. >> maybe. lindsay lohan, who is still on probation for basically a jewelry --

>> she stole some jewelry. >> she stole some jewelry back in 2011. she's still on probation. the probation has been revoked thank you -- i have had too much coffee -- by a judge today and ordered her back to court on january 15th. and on that date, she could be found in violation of probation, face as much as 245 days behind bars. >> whoo. >> they're expecting her -- attorneys are expected to get that january 15th date pushed to give them more time to cut a deal. she's still in hot water dating back to a june 8th car crash where she lied to police. it just goes on. >> jail time looking more likely. bottom line on that one. >> yeah. well, she clearly won't be on this list. we've heard about her tax troubles. the top earning women in music in 2012. the top of the list, britney spears. she's on the comeback, man. she raked in $58 million over the past year. she had her latest album. then had the big tour. also endorsements. i didn't know she had a perfume line with elizabeth arden. >> she does. >> rounding out the list, number two, taylor swift, $57 million.

rihanna came in third, $53 million. lady gaga, $52 million, and katy perry with $45 million. congratulations, ladies. anne hathaway devastated. she was here for the premier of "les mis." when she got out of the car, a photographer snapped her and she showed her world to them unwillingly and it's everywhere now. >> here's my question. >> didn't wear underwear. >> why no underwear, anne? to kill 99.9% of germs. and removes stains better than clorox toilet bowl cleaner with bleach. so if you want to do the whole job, lysol's got you covered. lysol. mission for health. and for an incredibly clean and fresh bowl with every flush, try the no mess automatic toilet bowl cleaner.

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♪ baby baby baby i love you ain't no doubt about it baby i love you ♪ ♪ baby, baby, baby i love you sing it. baby fever has hit hollywood big time and the latest to catch it is drew barrymore. >> the first-time mom says she's been doing some serious nesting since giving birth back in september. and now she's sharing some of all that joy. here's abc's tanya rivero.

>> reporter: this "charlie's angel" now has her own little angel. drew barrymore debuting 9-week-old daughter olive on the cover of "people" and opening up about the best role of her career so far -- being a mom. telling the magazine, it's positively the best moment of my life. as life gets shorter, the stakes get higher. and this is the most important thing i will ever do. >> she wants to be the mom that's going to be there every day, picking up her kid from school so that the child knows when she needs mom or dad, they are there. >> reporter: the 37-year-old actress even wiping away tears as she spoke about her husband, art consultant will kopleman, whom she wed in june, and his role as a father. saying he provides a strong family. for people who didn't have the strongest families, if you can create that, you have a second chance. it's like a miracle. >> he has very traditional family values and they cannot wait to raise their child together. >> reporter: her own childhood was very from conventional. the star of "e.t." at just 7

years old. [ screaming ] >> reporter: she later battled addiction to drugs and alcohol, entering rehab at only 13. she opened up about those rocky years with chris connelly on "nightline" earlier this year. >> i was lost and scared, but what i did learn is humility and that things can go away. >> reporter: with a new chapter before her, the new mom knows her daughter's life will be different. i'm trying to figure out how to do things differently than when i grew up. i've got some really great blueprints of what not to do. tanya rivero, abc news, new york. >> aw, cute little kid. >> motherhood does change you, mostly in a good way. >> yeah. especially when you hear that crying. but go ahead. you wanted to encourage folks. >> i wanted to encourage folks to send in your awkward holiday photos. if you have photos of your children that have an aversion to santa, crying, please send them to us.

tweet us, facebook us. you can feet them to @abcwnn. >> and we'll show them on the air between now and christmas. stay with us. >> announcer: this is abc's "world news now." informing insomniacs for two decades. [ female announcer ] now get high speed internet at home on our newly expanded advanced digital network, a connection you can count on. introducing at&t u-verse high speed internet with more speed options, reliability and wi-fi hot spots than ever. go to our website below to get u-verse high speed internet for just 14.95 a month for 12 months with a one-year price guarantee. it's all the speed you need all at a great price. our newly expanded advanced digital network gives you more of what you enjoy online.

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>> thanks for watching. this morning, the man behind the mask. >> new details in the shooting inside that packed portland mall. the shooter's ex-girlfriend talks to abc news, as police race to find out why. breaking overnight, a major university on lockdown for hours. students stuck in classrooms and libraries. flooding twitter with images from inside. murder plot. a sinister cross-country plan to kill, even torture, justin bieber.